U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,716,925; 4,011,662; 4,034,482; and 4,156,973 disclose energy saving vents adapted to direct hot, moist air exhausted from a domestic clothes dryer to the interior of a building. The operation of such dryers requires the expenditure of relatively large quantities of energy which, after the drying is complete, is normally lost to the atmosphere. The prior art patents noted disclose use of dryer exhaust air to increase the relative humidity and/or temperature within the building and to thereby reduce humidifying and heating costs.
Previous energy saving vents include lint-filtering traps which become clogged with lint and other particulate matter and operate to impede the flow of dryer exhaust air therethrough. An increase in resistance to disposing of exhaust air from the dryer could adversely affect the intended operation or efficiency of the dryer.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an energy saving vent of inexpensive construction adapted to selectively direct exhaust air from a clothes dryer either outdoors or indoors, and which is constructed to provide a pressure-relief arrangement which insures proper functioning of the dryer.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an energy saving vent, formed of inexpensive molded construction that provides for selective discharge of heated air to the building when heating is desired, the vent being provided with a screen for capturing lint and particulate matter carried by the heated air, and which screen is readily removable to permit cleaning thereof.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a valved energy-saving vent of inexpensive construction formed with a pressure relief means therein that functions when heated air is being selectively directed through a lint filter with the area to be warmed by the heat energy of the air, and provided with a selectively removable lint filter, and wherein the valve within the vent is so constructed as to provide simple but effective means for releasably latching the valve in its alternate positions.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a valved energy-saving vent of inexpensive construction that may be conveniently incorporated into a clothes dryer as part of the original equipment of the clothes dryer.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after reviewing the following drawings and detailed disclosure of a preferred embodiment.